


You don't have to look any further - I've been waiting here for you for time

by naivesilver



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Found Family, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative, Slight Age changes, They're not the best dads but theY'RE TRYING
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-21 06:03:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21294734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naivesilver/pseuds/naivesilver
Summary: It's not something one says out loud, so they go on with their lives, careful to avoid anything that might push the whole situation off-balance.(Then Charmy happens.)-The making of the ragtag family we call Team Chaotix, seen through Espio's eyes.
Relationships: Espio the Chameleon/Vector the Crocodile
Comments: 9
Kudos: 83





	You don't have to look any further - I've been waiting here for you for time

"We can't keep him" Espio says, crossing his arms.

Entranced as he is by the baby gurgling and cooing in his arms, it takes Vector a moment to register what he said. When he does, there's an air of intense betrayal on his face as he looks up. "And why not?"

Espio merely raises an eyebrow and pointedly gestures to their surroundings, waiting for his partner to realize the obvious. It shouldn't take long, considering how much the dark, filthy they're in adds to the drama of the whole thing.

They shouldn't be here. They never should have accepted this job. The Chaotix Detective Agency was supposed to bring them fame and notoriety, not lead them to corpses and houses in ruins.

But the money they were offered was a tad too much to pass. And now they're standing there, bantering over a baby bee they know nothing of.

(Well. Not nothing, techinically. They're detectives, learning information is what they do. They know his name is Charmy, and that his parents are either missing or dead somewhere around them, and that he'll die, too, if they leave him here.

It's not a lot of things, and at the same time it's entirely too much.)

When Vector still doesn't stop glaring daggers at him, Espio sighs and adds: "We can't take care of him. Look where we are now - we end up in places like this all the time. We're the worst possible people who could raise a baby. And even if he's got no family left, there's places for kids like him. Houses and families, responsible people."

He hates the thought even if he’s the one to say it out loud. He knows what goes on in places like those, if you're not lucky enough to be adopted early. He saw quite a few of them before he ran away to live on his own, and Vector's had pretty much the same experience. They wouldn't wish it on any other kid, especially such a small one.

Vector knows all of this, and he doesn't hesitate to take his chance. "I'm not leaving him anywhere like that. And it's not like we can leave him at some doorstep or something. This is not a fucking fairy tale."

No, it's decidedly not. If it were anything close to a fairy tale the two of them would be home, together and safe, not in a place that reeks of blood and rot.

"C'mon, Esp" Vector presses on, as if he could notice Espio relenting. "Look at him. Isn't he cute? We could make him a detective too."

"Stop it. We're not taking him home, and that's final."

Espio bites back any uncertainty that might transpire from his voice. They can't bring him home, even for the night, because they both know they're never going to get rid of him after that.

And he isn't even that cute, for all that Vector is trying to shove him in his face. He's small and he's noisy and he'll spit on the crocodile soon enough, and then they'll see how nice Vector can be towards little kids.

Espio's almost convinced himself. He's nearly made it.

Then Charmy, perhaps shaken by Vector's bouncing, perhaps because the chameleon in front of him is a way more interesting sight than this dark and smelly building, stops sucking at his fist and starts bloody _giggling_.

It's sudden and high-pitched, the laughter of babies who still don’t have any teeth, all chubby cheeks and peeking pink gums.

It's out of place in a dirty hole like this. And, also, pretty darn cute.

Dammit.

(As predicted, Vector’s confidence starts wavering the moment he realizes raising a baby entails more sleepless nights and changed diapers than he’d like.

By that point, though, it’s too late.

They’re stuck with Charmy for the foreseeable future, whatever that means for them.)

* * *

Here's the thing: Espio and Vector have been trying to fool each other for a long, long time.

They both know what the truth is, but neither will be the first to call bullshit on the other. Vector will keep on being brash and loud and attached to money and other material things, and Espio will stay the levelled one, the voice of reason, the team member that plans ahead.

But they've known each other for too long, friends for years even before they were lovers, and they can't not see through the lie. They can't not realize that all Vector wants is stability, to lay back and relax knowing the few people he cares about are safe, and that deep down Espio is still terrified that the next careless move will bring his whole world crashing down on his head.

But it's not something one says out loud, so they go on with their lives, careful to avoid anything that might push the whole situation off-balance.

(Then Charmy happens.)

* * *

The kid learns to talk before he can walk, and to fly before he can talk.

It makes for a small, hyperactive ball of energy flitting from door to ceiling to floor, chattering endlessly in incomprehensible gibberish and tiring them to the bone.

Vector gets scared to death every time the bee collides with a piece of furniture, perhaps more for the things they'd have to replace than for the bones he could break. It's not that unfair, considering he seems to possess that weird ability all kids have, to bounce back up laughing as if they were made of rubber.

Not that Vector would know otherwise, since it's Espio Charmy comes bawling to, when he needs someone to patch his scrapes and kiss them better.

As for Espio himself, well. He's more and more convinced of his first impression of the kid - a pain in the ass more than anything else, and mostly because he gets to be the responsible parental figure, and Vector can stick to being funny and passing on his horrendous taste in music to Charmy. And that without mentioning how hard it is to get some privacy now, between the times he bursts into any room they try to have some fun in and the ones he bangs his head on the desk the second they leave him unsupervised.

But the little one is still cute, at times. At the end of the day, when he's finally exhausted and he falls asleep curled against one of them, it's hard to be resentful towards him.

One night he and Vector doze off almost simultaneously, the massive crocodile laying on the couch and the small bee pillowed on his belly. It would be blessedly quiet, the perfect time to meditate and unwind, had they not mastered the ability to snore in sync.

Espio knows he should be more irritated about it, but he can’t bring himself to. There’s something blossoming in his chest, warm and not totally unpleasant, as he watches them threaten to bring down the house with their noise, so it would be hypocritical of him to complain.

Therefore, he looks at them until he feels as though he’s about to burst, and then he goes to bed, a small smirk on his face.

(The following day they’re both awake early thanks to their impromptu nap, and absolutely insufferable because of it.

Well. He enjoyed the peace until it lasted.)

* * *

Their first kiss is a borderline disaster.

They shouldn't be surprised. If anything, it's on brand with every other thing they've done in the last few months - it seems that they can't work on a case without accidentally running into a pack of armed gangsters, or worse, police officers, who aren't too convinced about them trying to catch criminals instead of joining their ranks. There are stains on their records, apparently, charges of shoplifting and pickpocketing and even something darker than they both make a point to ignore.

Still. It happens.

It goes like this: Espio is complaining, and Vector is not listening. It's such a common occurrence in their lives than later on the chameleon will not remember what exactly he was ranting about. Some farfetched plan they got themselves into, most likely, or the need to use their meagre paycheck for useful stuff and not things that would make their office look "cool". What's certain is that he's getting increasingly more frustrated, because Vector is obviously distracted, staring right through him without absorbing a single word.

Then the crocodile bends down and kisses him, cutting him off mid-sentence.

It's not bad, per se. It would be good, were they not so shocked by it - and Vector is as stunned by his own actions as Espio is, make no mistake. His eyes widen as soon as he realizes what he's done, and he takes a step back, horrified.

"Shit. Sorry" he says, panicking, words stumbling out of his mouth. "Shouldn't have done that. I really shouldn't have done that."

"Then why did you do it?" Espio asks, dumbfounded. That's not the right question, nor the most delicate one, but the shock goes too deep for him to care.

Here's the thing: Espio has been pining for a long time now. He's never said anything, obviously, because it would have ruined everything they built together, and he wasn't about to destroy the most stable friendship he's had in years over his own damn feelings. Not to mention the awkwardness that would have ensued, trying to work together after a revelation like that.

But now it seems that Vector has decided to take the matter into his own hands.

The crocodile winces visibly. "I've wanted to do that for a while. And you were so focused on whatever you were saying, okay, I just...I couldn't resist. But it was a stupid thing to do. So if it's too much, and you want to leave, that's fine. You-you can take the money, too, since it was my fault."

It's such a big gesture, coming from him, that it's almost touching. It's also put in a grand way that is so unmistakably _Vector_, that it's enough for Espio to make up his mind. With an exasperated sigh, he closes the distance between them, gets on his tiptoes and kisses Vector back.

It's a bit longer than the first one, and decidedly better, even if Vector is no less surprised by it.

Well. There's always room for improvement, Espio supposes.

(They don't discuss it further, once they've gone back to work.

But if Espio slips his hand into Vector's the next time they leave the house, no one is going to judge him for that, right?)

* * *

Of course someone has to try and come for Charmy. Of course.

Thing is, despite being heavily incompetent at times, they more often than not still manage to do their job. And by virtue of catching them red-handed or just crashing the wrong place at the wrong time, they've pissed off a fair amount of people - all of which have tried to retaliate in some way or the other during the years.

By now, though, even the dumbest of goons has realized attacking a giant crocodile with more muscle than sense or a ninja that can turn invisible is not the smartest move, so the ambushes have toned down over time.

That is, until someone realized they could attack the actual three-year-old child in their care instead.

They're actually doing their job, for once, looking for clues on a case of stolen jewels. Their leads are a bit depressing, for now, but they might yet be surprised, and at least they're enjoying a bit of child-free time for the day.

They bring Charmy with them, most times. He's physically incapable of shutting up, and he's probably caused them at least three heart attacks with the trouble he gets himself into, but he's good at charming their clients, especially the old ladies. And it makes for a good cover story, when they're caught in places they shouldn't be: the bedraggled parents trying to get their hyperactive kid with a knack for running his mouth out of unsavoury places.

(Charmy's first words, adequately adapted to his kid speech, were Vector, Espio, shit and food. Yes, in that order. No, Espio won't take any responsibility for it.)

Sometimes they drop him on Knuckles, though the echidna complains and grumbles and is not-so-secretly convinced that the bee will fall over the edge of Angel Island when he's not looking. Sometimes they entrust him to the care of one of their neighbours, praying fervently that he'll behave and they won't have to pay for destroyed properties.

Today is one of those days. The woman at the end of the block has three kids already, but Vector and Espio have done her a few favours as of late and she seemed content to take Charmy off their hands as repayment. By the time they're climbing the stairs to her apartment, they're pretty convinced that it must have gone well, or else she would have called them earlier, begging them to take back what is well on his way to become the terror of the neighbourhood.

But when they reach her floor, her door is already open.

It would be enough to set alarms blaring in Espio's head, but there's noise coming from the inside, too, and not the kind four kids could produce either.

"What the..." Vector frowns, pushing the door open as they let themselves in.

Then, chaos ensues.

The guy came alone. It's a stupid mistake, one you wouldn't expect from the likes of him; even if he's pretty buff, a tall bear from a gang whose heist they prevented a while ago, and he's probably armed, he's still struggling to overcome their friend when they burst in. Jeyne is not that strong, a slight, long-necked swan, but she's fighting nails and beak, scared as she is for the children.

Children who are in various states of distress, except Charmy, who, wriggling in the arms of Jeyne’s eldest girl, seems ready to kick the attacker’s ass himself.

They burst into action at once. Vector launches towards the bear, and Espio vanishes, trying to catch him by surprise. In the corner of his eye he catches Charmy escaping his prison and trying to fly in their opponent's face, and panics for all of half a second before Jeyne grabs the bee by the foot.

Together, they make short work of him. As predicted, he has a gun, but they disarm him and get him flat on the floor pretty quickly.

Espio gets Jeyne to call the police, because he's not sure Vector won't launch the guy out of the window if she doesn't. Not that the chameleon would blame him, really - he thinks he can feel that rage too, burning surprisingly hot in his chest.

It's a new sort of protectiveness, one he doesn't remember feeling before. He's always on edge as it is, what with the life they live - but they are old enough to know the consequences to their actions, even if Vector is reckless enough to dive into danger anyway and Espio is patient enough to follow him, and they're certainly able to defend themselves.

But with Charmy, it's different. He was the target, this time, and he's too young to fight back. If they hadn't arrived when they did...

_But we did_, Espio thinks, forcing himself to focus on what actually happened. _We fought him back for Charmy. We can protect him._

They might not be able to a second time, though, and that's what haunts him, even after they've turned the guy in to the police. They apologize to Jeyne, promise explanations and repayment, and go back home, and he's still thinking about it.

Predictably, the bear confesses he'd intended to dispose of Charmy as punishment for the rest of the team. He says he acted alone, too, that nobody sent him: they don't believe him, obviously, he's too low in the gang's food chain not to act under command - but in the end, it doesn't matter. Espio and Vector still close their ranks around Charmy, difficult as it is, and hope whoever else has weird ideas about him will get discouraged.

Else they might have to teach him how to fight for real.

(Jeyne is hesitant to cross their path again, but they keep an eye on her too, if a bit more quietly.

That's what the Chaotix are about, after all.)

* * *

"You know, Esp, I was thinking."

"That's not good news" Espio mutters, and he grins ever so slightly as Vector rolls his eyes.

"You didn't even hear my idea!"

"Sorry. Go on."

The crocodile pulls a face, but he obliges. "As I was saying, I got thinking. And I think we should start working on our own."

"You say that every other month." Espio tentatively takes another bite of his hamburger, then sighs and pushes the whole tray towards Vector. "Nevermind, it's still terrible. You can have it."

They're in a dingy fast food place in the slums, near Vector's latest workplace. They usually pile up whatever money they get from the odd jobs they do, but it rarely amounts to much, so they have to improvise for meals, and this is the cheapest food around here that is mostly edible.

That doesn't mean it's anything close to good, though. Espio tries, really, but it tastes too much like garbage - and coming from him it's saying something.

Vector, though, has the appetite of an ox, and the taste of one, too. He engulfs Espio's greasy fries like a vacuum, even as he continues talking.

"Yeah, I know, but I'm serious this time. We're not getting anywhere like this. We can't go on eating this shit and changing jobs and things like that. We could be detectives. You seemed to like that idea."

"It's never going to work. We don't have any experience."

Vector scoffs. "We can get some when we start having clients! Think about it, Espio. I'm not saying we'd swim in money immediately - but we could get famous, in time! We'd be great detectives, I'm sure of it. I'd see some action, and you could use that ninja training of yours to fight crime. It would be cool as hell."

"We'd be detectives, Vector, not superheroes" Espio says, shaking his head, but deep down a part of him is starting to get more and more convinced.

It's true that they both hate their jobs, and that they won't last long anyway. And it'd mean working with Vector - Vector who looks so pumped when he talks about this kind of stuff, that he'd convince even the moon to pop up in daytime.

Vector who looks handsome, too, when he’s fired up like this, but it's something that Espio thinks every day, and decidedly not something you'd catch him saying out loud.

The crocodile has a smug smile on his face, as if he knew he's already won. And maybe he has. Espio acts as a conscience, thwarting Vector's most reckless plans before they can cause physical injuries to anyone, but he has a hard time actually preventing him from doing stuff when he's acting this way. "I found this old house we could rent. It's a shithole, but it could be a good place to kick off things. I'm gonna see it next week. Wanna come?"

Espio makes a point out of thinking about it, just to preserve his dignity, but he knows he has no chance of refusing. If the last few years of friendship are of any indication, he'll go see the damn house, even if Vector will probably about the whole thing in the span of two weeks.

"Alright. But if the roof falls on our heads you're buying me lunch."

(They end up keeping the house through interdimensional jumps and half apocalypses.

It's still a shithole, but at this point it's their shithole.)

* * *

As a rule, one should be able to ignore everything happening around them during meditation.

Espio learned to his expense that there have to be exceptions to this rule, if one shares a house with not one but two menaces to society. It's not advisable to exclude all surrounding noise when said noise could be caused by Charmy scaring off possible clients (twice) or Vector starting a housefire by mistake (thrice).

These exceptions come, obviously, with the ability to discern which events are relevant enough to break through and which are not.

For example, the crocodile currently yelling at the top of his lungs in the next room is not worth worrying for.

However, the buzzing sound growing louder is a sure sign of impending trouble.

Espio doesn't open his eyes nor move a muscle, even when he's sure Charmy has flown close enough and is now floating above him, until the bee whispers urgently: "Help me hide!"

The chameleon inhales, exhales, prepares himself for the worst. "What did you break?"

"Nothing, I swear."

"Did you get the neighbour boys to throw stones at our windows again?"

"No!"

"Did you wake Vector from his nap after I specifically told you to be quiet?"

There's a prolonged pause. "...Maybe?"

Espio releases a long-suffering sigh. He's glad he kept his eyes closed, because he's not sure he wouldn't start yelling as well if he could see Charmy's not-at-all-sorry face. For all that they’ve brought him to fights against Eggman for ages now, letting him loose on enemies four times bigger than him, he sure has no survival instincts to speak of.

One afternoon of quiet. Just one. He thought he hadn't asked for much.

"I'm not telling him I saw you" he says in the end. It's not even a lie, technically. "If you hide well, good. If he catches you, you're on your own."

Charmy whines, but Vector must be about to enter the room, for he shoots away in a second, presumably out of the window.

Sure enough, a couple seconds later someone with much heavier steps burst into the backroom. "Where did that brat go?" Vector snarls.

Espio opens his eyes, unfurls from his sitting position, looks up at his partner's furious face with his eyebrows raised, the picture of innocence.

"Don't know. Haven't seen him since lunch. What did he do now?"

(With the exception of physical violence, which neither of them approves of when it comes to children, Vector’s ideas for revenge vary from bad to worse. By the time he actually finds Charmy, though, most of his ire has boiled down, and the rest evaporates when the bee bursts into tears, contrite and awfully sorry by all accounts.

Espio doesn’t know what’s more appalling, the kid’s talent for acting or that Vector is still falling for it after six years.)

* * *

There's nothing in the trashcans.

Espio furrows his brow, leaning in a bit more despite the lingering smell. Still nothing. They must have been emptied earlier in the day.

The purple chameleon groans as he puts the lids back on. Great. Now he'll have to wait for the end of the evening shift.

The alley between _Chuck's_ is a cramped, smelly place, but it hosts the trash of a few of the surrounding buildings, other than that of the restaurant itself. It's a source of many treasures - it's hard to believe some people would toss away that much stuff, but they routinely do. As of now, Espio has found tons of things to pawn off for cash, and even some money, crumpled and forgotten among the rest.

It's also a good place to wait in until one or two in the morning , because it's a "clean" enough part of town that people rarely lurk around, and if he's patient and polite enough, Chuck himself will give him whatever's left over at the end of the day, and even something from the tip jar if the shift's gone well.

Espio's told Chuck that he doesn't live far from here, and that his family doesn't have that much money. It's not technically lying - he sleeps where he can, which includes the shelter two blocks down, and his family is just himself - and it's the same thing he said to Minako Sensei, so that the old woman who's training him in ninja techniques won't feel guilty about not feeding him, even if she sometimes lets him sleep on the floor in her dingy old house so that they can train early in the morning.

He suspects neither of them quite believes him, but they pretend to so that they don't have to report him to authorities. Chuck in particular seems to have taken pity of him, as if he were a child in need of attention. Despite the physical exercise, Espio is a scrawny thing, and he looks younger than his age, which is all of fifteen years old. It's a good advantage to have, sometimes: children tend to be overlooked more easily than grumpy teenagers, and petty thievery gets written off as mischief more than crime, when they get caught.

Espio rarely gets caught. His mimetic ability can get him pretty much anywhere, and he's quick on his feet, small as he is.

Still, he doesn't like stealing much. If he could, he'd stop making a living like that, but he's too young to get a job, and if he asked for help they'd return him to the foster house. He doubts they'd be kind to a fugitive like him, and they've never been kind to begin with.

He just hopes Chuck will have something for him, tonight. Espio makes do with what he finds in the trash when there's no other option, but it's even nastier than stealing. Besides, as he's learned a few minutes ago, the trash collectors didn't leave him much to work with.

He's wondering whether he has the time to go check the bins around the corner too when he hears heavy footsteps approaching, and then a tall figure appears at the entrance of the alley, casting a long shadow in the moonlight.

Turning invisible is an instinctive reaction at this point, and Espio scampers up the wall behind him, looking for an advantage point. He doesn't want to leave his premium spot in line for the food, if this turns out to be a false alarm, but he's had too many encounters with creepy men not to hide by principle. He's managed to avoid falling in their hands until now, but there have been a few close calls he'd like not to repeat.

Unfortunately, changing colours doesn't prevent him from making noise, and he hits the trashcans as he goes up. Too clumsy, too damn clumsy - Minako Sensei would be ashamed of him.

The figure stops dead in its tracks, and they call out, with a low, rough voice: "Who's there?"

Espio holds his breath, hoping they'll go away if they find nothing.

"Look, I heard ya, and I don't want no trouble - I just wanna see if Chuck's got something left" they continue. "We can share if you come out, I'm not about to eat the whole diner."

They step into the cone of light formed by the backdoor, and Espio finally gets a good look at the newcomer.

It's a boy, a crocodile. Though tall and broad-shouldered, and a bit older than Espio for sure, he looks young, still in his teens. He's looking around suspiciously, but also with a tinge of fear he can't hide completely, as if he, too, was expecting someone to come at him from some dark corner.

Espio watches him with curiosity as he keeps twisting and turning, checking behind his shoulders. Finally he seems to give up, shaking his head.

"Alright. Guess I'm gonna have to get some food alone" he says. Then, muttering to himself: "Damn idiot, talking to myself like that. Gotta be going crazy."

It doesn't bode well. Espio grimaces, considering his choices.

He could leave now, and be done with this whole thing. It'd mean brushing past the crocodile, but even if he were to notice something he doesn't seem quick enough to catch an invisible target.

It would be the safest choice, but it would also rule out getting some food.

He could call for help, too. He doesn't doubt Chuck would rush out at any sign of danger, but the guy here seems familiar with the restaurant, so perhaps they know each other. Chuck may consider him a child already, but he draws the line at being dubbed a hysterical one after yelling at the sight of a stranger.

That's another no, then. Which leaves him with...

"Wait" he calls out, turning back to his usual purple.

"Shit!" The crocodile, who had already raised a hand to knock on the diner's back door, actually jumps back, going wide eyed at the sight in front of him. It must be a shock, a wall that seemed empty suddenly having a chameleon sticking to its surface.

"What the hell?" He adds after a moment, trying to regain his composure. "Don't do stuff like that, you scared the crap out of me."

"Sorry" Espio replies, not meaning it in the slightest.

The other boy scoffs, straightening the cuffs of his gloves. He's dressed very weirdly, like he's trying desperately to be cool - only Espio knows what's cool for _him_, and it's not this. He's wearing an assortment of golden bracelets and necklaces, cheap stuff that wouldn't get him fifty cents at the pawn shop, and battered headphones. Even now, in the lull of their conversation, Espio can hear the faintest music coming from them, and he's suddenly curious of what that stranger is listening to.

It's not the smartest move, letting his guard this down, but he can't feel scared about this boy. Suspicious, yes - but also intrigued. For such an imposing guy, he doesn't look very intimidating. If anything, he seems as tense as Espio himself feels.

"So, is there like a line for the food?" The crocodile asks, forcing him to snap out of his reverie. "It's the first time there's been someone other than me. Say, you're not gonna steal my stuff and run away, right?"

"I think Chuck will just split everything if there's more than one of us" Espio answers, almost offended that _he_ should be the one suspected of thievery. He was there first, dammit. "He wouldn't let me steal anything from you. Or the opposite, which is more likely."

To his surprise, the crocodile barks out a laugh. "Alright, kid, touché. No need to bite me or anything."

Chuck chooses that moment to open the backdoor, wondering out loud who's bickering out of his diner. Prompting them to turn to him with matching looks of surprise, he laughs heartily at the sight of them.

"Oh, good, you've met each other! I was wondering when that would happen, since I've been feeding the both of you since forever."

"Yeah, yeah, we're very grateful, old man" the other boy says, and Espio finds himself rolling his eyes along with his words. He catches himself halfway through, but it's still unnerving that he'd be this relaxed around a stranger, so he brushes past the mystery guy on his way inside the restaurant without looking him in the eye.

There's spaghetti with leftover wieners diced inside, and it might make all Spagonian citizens in a two-mile radius gag in disgust, but it's warm and inviting, and Espio's stomach growls expectantly.

After wrapping their stuff, Chuck asks Espio if he'd like to eat at one of the tables while they finish cleaning. "If you don't have to go back to your...family, that is" he adds, eyebrows raised.

Espio goes slightly red at the implication, but the crocodile cuts in before he can reply, mock-offence in his tone: "You never ask me if I want to eat here, Chuck.”

"That's because the last time I did you put your dirty feet on my chairs, Vector. This one's well educated, at least. You could learn some stuff from him."

Having said his piece, the old man turns his back to them and goes back to his chores, leaving them in a pause of awkward silence.

Hoping to break it somehow, Espio looks up at his companion. "So your name is Vector?"

"Yeah. Didn't manage to tell you earlier. And you'd be?"

"Espio. My name is Espio."

Grinning broadly, Vector offers him his hand, food balanced precariously on his left arm. Espio hesitates for a split second, but he doesn’t see any reason to be rude, despite the situation, so he imitates him, and they exchange a quick but firm handshake.

"Nice to meet you, Espio. Guess I'll see you around, uh?"

Then Vector walks out, humming loudly along with the music that's still playing in his headphones.

Espio watches him go, vaguely mesmerized. Then he shakes his head, trying to clear his mind, only mildly successful as he settles at one of the tables.

"See you around", he said. As if it's ever going to happen. A pity, though. He seemed an interesting fellow, if a bit odd. Too much muscles and good looks, perhaps, and not enough brain, but...

_Shut up_, Espio orders his brain, and he digs in the food, drowning every thought but the ones rejoicing for another free meal.

(The moment they get a poster ad, courtesy of Charmy's wonky attempts at drawing, they send Chuck a copy.

They can't see him, but the old man laughs at himself for a long time, and then he hangs it right behind the corner, for all his clients to see.)

**Author's Note:**

> I once read a headcanon that went like "Espio and Vector found Charmy in the aftermath of a case that went REALLY bad" and I haven't been able to forget about it for the last three years. Also @sega let Vector swear you COWARDS  
You might have noticed that I've made Espio and Vector older while I kept Charmy's age the same. It's not that I don't appreciate their usual dynamics, and I definitely ship canon timeline Vecpio (Tumblr discourse about it is WHY I've started writing for this ship, after all), but for the sake of this story I wanted them to be even more the disaster dads they have the potential to be, and also to have met each other as trash teens.   
English is not my first language, so if you find anything wrong please tell me!! And if you read IDW you'll see me back here as soon as the current arc closes bc I know I'll need fic for that too.   
In the meantime, my Tumblr nickname is naivesilver as well, so if you wanna come scream about the Chaotix with me you're more than welcome to. Kisses <3
> 
> P.S. Yes, it's THAT Chuck. Or not, it's up to you ;)


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